Chapter 14

Question 1

Active Touch

Answer 1

Touch in which the observer plays an active role in touching and exploring an object, usually with his or her hands.

Question 2

Affective/emotional component of pain

Answer 2

The emotional experience associated with pain - for example, pain described as tortueing, annoying, frightful etc.

Question 3

Cutaneous senses

Answer 3

The ability to perceive sensations such as touch and pain, that are based on the stimulation of receptors in the skin.

Question 4

Dermis

Answer 4

Layer of skin below the epidermis

Question 5

Direct Pathway model of pain

Answer 5

The idea that pain occurs when nociceptor receptors in the skin are stimulated and send their signals to the brain. This model does not account for the fact that pain can be affected by factors in addition to stimulation of the skin.

Question 6

Duplex theory of texture perception

Answer 6

The idea that texture perception is is determined by both spatial and temporal cues that are detected by two types of receptors. Proposed by David Katz and named by Hollins.

Question 7

Endorphin

Answer 7

Chemical naturally produced in the brain that causes analgesia

Question 8

Epidermis

Answer 8

The outer layer of the skin including a layer of dead skn cells

Question 9

Exploratory procedures (EPs)

Answer 9

Movements of hands and fingers while identifying 3D objects by touch

Question 10

Gate control model

Answer 10

Melzack/Wall - perception of pain is controlled by a neural circuit that takes into account the relative amount of activity int he nociceptors, mechanoreceptors, and central signals. This model has been used to explain how pain can be influenced by factors in addition to stimulation of receptors in the skin.

Question 11

Grating acuity

Answer 11

in the cutaneous senses, a measure of acuity on the skin that is the narrowest spacing of a grooved surface on the skin for which orientation can be accurately judged.

Question 12

Haptic perception

Answer 12

The perception of 3D objects by touch

Question 13

Homonculus

Answer 13

“little man”. Topographic map of the body in the somatosensory cortex.

Question 14

Inflammatory pain

Answer 14

Pain caused by damage to tissues, inflammation of joints, or tumour cells. Damage releases chemicals that create an inflammatory soup that activates nociceptors.

Question 15

Kinesthesis

Answer 15

The sense that enables us to feel the motions and positons of the limbs and body.

Question 16

Mechanoreceptor

Answer 16

Receptor that responds to mechanical stimulation of the skin, such as pressure, stretching or vibration.

Question 17

Medial Lemniscal Pathway

Answer 17

A pathway in the spinal chord that transmits signals from the skin toward the thalamus.

Question 18

Meissner corpuscle (RA1)

Answer 18

Receptor in the skin associated with RA1 mechanoreceptors. It has been proposed that the Meissner corpuscle is important for perceiving tactile slip and for controlling the force needed to grip objects.

Question 19

Merkel receptor (SA1)

Answer 19

A disk shaped receptor in the skin associated with slowly adapting fibers and the perception of fine details.

Question 20

Multimodal nature of pain

Answer 20

The fact that the experience of pain has both sensory and emotional components.

Question 21

Naloxone

Answer 21

A substance that inhibits the activity of opiates. It is hypothesized that naloxone also inhibits the activity of endorphins and therefore can have an effect on pain perception.

Question 22

Neuropathic pain

Answer 22

Pain caused by lesions or other damage to the nervous system.

Question 23

Nociceptive pain

Answer 23

This type of pain, which serves as a warning of impending damage to the skin, is caused by activation of receptors in the skin called nociceptors.

Question 24

Nociceptor

Answer 24

A fiber that responds to stimuli that are damaging to the skin.

Question 25

Opioid

Answer 25

A chemical such as opium, heroin, and other molecules with related structures that reduce pain and induce feelings of euphoria.

Question 26

Pacinian corpuscle (RA2 or PC)

Answer 26

A receptor with a distinctive elliptical shape associated with RA2 mechanoreceptors. It transmits pressure to the nerve finer inside it only at the beginning or end of a pressure stimulus and is responsible for our perception of vibration and fine textures that are perceived when moving the fingers over a surface.

Question 27

Pain matrix

Answer 27

The network of structures in the brain responsible for pain perception.

Question 28

Passive touch

Answer 28

A situation in which a person passively receives tactile stimulation.

Question 29

Phantom limb

Answer 29

A person’s continued perception of a limb after amputation.

Question 30

Proprioception

Answer 30

The sensing of the position of the limbs.

Question 31

Rapidly Adapting (RA) receptor

Answer 31

Mechanoreceptors that respond with bursts of firing just at the onset and offset of pressure stimulus. The Meissner corpuscle and the Pacinian corpuscle are rapidly adapting receptors.

Question 32

Ruffini cylinder (SA2)

Answer 32

A receptor structure in the skin associated with slowly adapting fibers. It has been proposed that the Ruffini cylinder is involved in perceiveing “stretching”.

Question 33

Secondary Somatosensory Cortex (S2)

Answer 33

Area in the parietal lobe next to the somatosensory receiving area that processes neural signals related to touch, temperature, and pain.

Question 34

Sensory component of pain

Answer 34

Pain perception described with terms such as throbbing, prickly, hot, or dull.

Question 35

Slowly Adapting (SA) receptor

Answer 35

Mechanoreceptors located in the epidermis and dermis that respond with prolonged firing to continued pressure. The Merkel receptor and the Ruffini cylinder are slowly adapting mechanoreceptors.

Question 36

Somatosensory receiving area (S1)

Answer 36

Area in the parietal lobe that received input from the skin and viscera associated with somatic senses such as touch, temp and pain.

Question 37

Somatosensory System

Answer 37

System that includes the cutaneous senses (senses involving the skin), proprioception (sense of positioning of the limbs) and kinaesthesia (sense of movement of the limbs).

Question 38

Spatial cue

Answer 38

In tactile perception, information abotu the texture of a surface that is determined by the size, shape and distribution of surface elements such as bumbs and grooves.

Question 39

Spinothalamic Pathway

Answer 39

One of the nerve pathways in the spinal cord that conducts nerve impulses from the skin to the somatosensory area of the thalamus.

Question 40

Surface Texture

Answer 40

The visual and tactile quality of a physical surface created by peaks and valleys.

Question 41

Tactile acuity

Answer 41

The smallest details that can be detected on the skin.

Question 42

Temporal cue

Answer 42

Information about the texture of a surface that is determined by the rate of vibrations that occur as we move our fingers across the surface.

Question 43

Transmission cell (T-cell)

Answer 43

According to gate control theory, the cell that receives + and = inputs from cells in the dorsal horn. T-cell activity determines perception of pain.

Question 44

Two-point threshold

Answer 44

smallest separation between two points on the skin that is perceived as two points.

Question 45

Ventrolateral nucleus

Answer 45

Nucleus in the thalamus that receives signals from the cutaneous system.